Horse Warriors: The Coming Storm
by Streameh
Summary: The Herds of horses have lived in peace, but a storm is approaching. They now face their biggest challenge: humans. But trouble is brewing amongst themselves, too. Follow four young horses as they try to save all they have ever known.
1. Allegiences & Prologue

**Well. This is a Warriors story but with horses instead of cats. I'm not sure how its going to work out, but I'm giving it a go anyway. Please, please, please tell me if any of these characters begin to turn into Mary Sues/Gary Stus. Please. You won't have to worry about that it this chapter, though. **

**So, please, read, enjoy (I hope), and then review! :)**

**A l l e g i a n c e s**

**F o r e s t H e r d**

Leader: Lightningstar- gorgeous palomino stallion

Lead Mare: Vineheart- sensible dark gray mare

Deputy: Pinefrost- dependable chestnut stallion w/ white-tipped fur

Medicine Horse: Aspenleaf- young, curious pale gray mare

Warriors:

Woodwhisker- trustworthy dark brown stallion

Frostgaze- albino mare w/ blue eyes

Whitestreak- black stallion w/ white streaks on his belly

Creamcloud- very pale buckskin mare

Apprentices:

Fleckhoof- flea-bitten gray filly (Mentor: Woodwhisker)

Flashhoof- fiery, flashy, and sometimes rebellious dark chestnut colt (Mentor: Creamcloud)

Broodmares:

Mossheart- black and white paint mare with natural maternal instincts

Willowsong- fast pale chestnut mare

Foals:

Maplefoal- gentle bay filly. Dislikes fighting.

Bouncefoal- jumpy and easily spooked chestnut colt

**R i v e r H e r d **

Leader: Floodstar- muddy brownish-gray colored stallion

Lead Mare: Rainsong- gray and white paint mare

Deputy: Creekfur- blue roan stallion

Medicine Horse: Bluegaze- chestnut paint stallion w/ blue eyes

Warriors:

Ripplestorm- gray stallion w/ wavy fur

Grayfrost- aging pale gray stallion w/ dark gray tipped fur

Goldenspirit- loyal palomino stallion

Dawnstep- buckskin mare

Apprentices:

Spiralhoof- bay appaloosa filly (Mentor: Goldenspirit)

Wavehoof- blue roan colt w/ wavy fur (Mentor: Dawnstep)

Broodmares:

Steamcloud- swift flea-bitten gray mare

Embersong- feisty and spirited dark bay mare w/ black points

Foals:

Skyfoal- large, strong chestnut colt

Echofoal- dark gray colt

**M o o r H e r d**

Leader: Breezestar- pale gray stallion

Lead Mare: Skyshadow- blue roan mare

Deputy: Fastflight- fast black stallion

Medicine Horse: Flowerheart- gentle and kind appaloosa mare

Warriors:

Duskfur- buckskin stallion

Windfeather- leggy and fast bay mare w/ black points

Brownspot- shy chestnut paint mare

Streakfur- dark brown stallion w/ lighter brown streaks

Apprentices:

Swirlhoof- light gray filly w/ a dark gray-black swirl on her left flank (Mentor: Windfeather)

Eaglehoof- bay colt (Mentor: Brownspot)

Broodmares:

Poppyflower- appaloosa mare

Whisperstreak- jumpy, fast dark grayish buckskin paint mare

Foals:

Swiftfoal- fast, temperamental chestnut colt

Coalfoal- dappled black colt

**M o u n t a i n H e r d**

Leader: Darkstar- grayish-black stallion

Lead Mare: Shadowcloud- black and white paint mare

Deputy: Stonestripe- gray stallion w/ a dark dorsal stripe

Medicine Horse: Snowhawk- albino stallion w/ blue eyes

Warriors:

Sharpstrike- flashy chestnut stallion

Blackthorn- big black stallion

Rockystep- reliable dark brown stallion

Curlyfur- easily spooked chestnut paint mare w/ curly-ish fur

Apprentices:

Coldhoof- unfriendly grayish-black colt (Mentor: Rockystep)

Sparkhoof- reddish bay filly (Mentor: Curlyfur)

Broodmares:

Nightflame- black mare w/ flecks of dark gray and chestnut

Blazeheart- bright bay mare

Foals:

Speckledfoal- large bay roan filly

Flightfoal- fast, flighty black colt

* * *

**P R O L O G U E**

-In AirHerd, several moons prior-

A piercing whinny split the silent, cold night. The air was heavy with the breath of many horses, but not a sound was made as all the horses gazed in awe at the cliff at the front of the clearing. Upon the cliff stood four horses. All were stallions, stunning creatures of intelligence and wit and great strength.

Even the tiniest foal in the mass of horses in the clearing knew who these four stallions were. They were the starters of the Herds, magnificent horses that had their story told countless times to young foals.

The stallions only appeared to the horses of AirHerd when something dire was going to happen. The stallions, it was said, paced the sky endlessly from edge to edge, watching over the Herds like a protective mother.

A dark brown stallion, Foreststar, stepped forward first. "Horses of AirHerd," he called, "A time of great change is upon us. We must be prepared."

Mountainstar, a great black stallion, spoke next. "The future is clouded by a darkness so thick, even we can not see past it."

"The danger that is coming can not be averted. There is nothing we can do to change what will happen," murmured a pale grayish-chestnut, Moorstar. His voice held a note of sadness, of worry and unknown pain.

The final stallion, a dark blue roan called Riverstar, spoke, "All we can do is warn the Herds. We will tell them what we know, but…" He trailed off.

For a long moment no one spoke. The stallions gazed at one another, the pain and worry they felt openly betrayed by their eyes. Whatever was able to affect the stallions so deeply was something to be feared. These were horses that had led their Herds through terrible dangers, who had witnessed horrible destructions, to whose leadership abilities were incomparable.

Suddenly, all four stallions' heads shot into the air. Their eyes widened as the sky flashed with lightning and the wind whistled. The trees bent as if the rumbling thunder pressed against them. A light frost seemed to come from no where to fall on the startled horses below.

"This changes everything. Horses of AirHerd, we have just received a new prophecy," Foreststar called.

Together all four stallions spoke, their single voice seeming to come from everywhere.

"Heart of the Forest,

Wind of the Moor,

Thunder of the River,

Frost of the Mountain.

Danger approaches from all sides,

No one is safe from evil,

Fight or flight, a decision to be made,

A decision remembered forever."

An eerie silence settled on the clearing as no one dared to speak. Finally Mountainstar murmured, "The Herds know of this as well. Even though we here in AirHerd know what it means, they must decipher it on their own. We will help the Herds as much as we possibly can, but in the end the decision is up to them and only them."

The meeting was over, the shadow of darkness weighing heavily on all the horses of AirHerd.

* * *

**I tried not to make the prophecy so obvious, and I doubt any of you will know what it means yet, because there is some information that is required for it that you don't have...ahahhahaha. Well, please tell me what you think it. :)**

* * *


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay. So I haven't written anything in a while. But I found that I had had this chapter about halfway finished, so I decided to finish it and post it. Why? Because I'm sick and there's nothing to do. It's short. It's a piece of shit. So put it in your juice box and suck it, please. kthxbai~**

**C h a p t e r O n e**

_*In ForestHerd, a few moons prior*_

_A pale gray mare stood on a small hill above the ForestHerd camp. She was staring at the sky, searching almost desperately._

_They sky lit up with a bolt of lightning and the air was filled with the sound of thunder. The trees bent, the wind blew faster, and everything was covered in a fine frost._

_The gray mare continued to read the sky, worried and alarmed. She needed to meet with the other medicine horses, immediately. She sighed softly; the prophecy meant troubled times ahead._

_"Aspenleaf, it that you?" called another mare. A black and white paint mare ambled into view, heavy with foal._

_"Mossheart, you shouldn't be out here. Your foal will be coming tomorrow. And," Aspenleaf dropped her voice to a whisper, "It's not safe out here."_

_Mossheart didn't question her friend, but she was curious. "My foal…tomorrow?"_

_Aspenleaf nodded. "You will name her Maplefoal." Mossheart said nothing. She knew her friend knew more than she was telling, but Mossheart knew that it wasn't her place to question._

_The two mares returned to camp in silence._

_-----_

*In ForestHerd, present*

Aspenleaf shook her head. The prophecy haunted her every day. She decided to talk to Lightningstar and then visit her friend Flowerheart, the medicine horse of MoorHerd. On her way to her leader, she stopped by the nursery to visit Mossheart and Maplefoal. The young bay filly leapt up excitedly.

"Aspenleaf!" She called. She pranced around happily. Aspenleaf chuckled at the foal's antics.

"Hi, Mossheart. And Maplefoal, of course. You should take her out, Mossheart. It'll do her some good. I'm going to visit Flowerheart in MoorHerd after I ask Lightningstar. You can go to the border with me, if you'd like."

Maplefoal whinnied excitedly. "Please, Momma? Willowsong took Bounceoal out!"

Mossheart laughed. "All right. We can go."

"I'll be right back," called Aspenleaf as she trotted to Lightningstar's den. She pushed her way through the ferns at the entrance of the den. "Lightningstar?" She called softly. She found him talking quietly to Pinefrost and Vineheart, his deputy and lead mare, respectively.

Lightningstar was looking very unsure of himself. He had been leader for less than a moon, since Tanglestar had died from an unknown disease. Aspenleaf had felt as if she had failed her Herd by not being able to save the aged stallion. Lightningstar was young with little experience, and he often questioned himself. His first reaction was to run head first into everything. Luckily, Pinefrost, his deputy, was a sensible warrior and kept Lightningstar from making fruitless mistakes.

Lightningstar rarely consulted Aspenleaf on any issues, but now he seemed glad to see her. They must have been discussing the prophecy.

"Aspenleaf!" He said politely. "Any more ideas about this prophecy?"

The medicine horse sighed. "Not really. Just that a horse from each Herd has been chosen…and some kind of danger is approaching. Those are the basics of it. I was hoping to go to MoorHerd to see Flowerheart, to talk about it with her. Mossheart and Maplefoal wanted to walk to the border with me, if that's all right."

Lightningstar nodded. "Go ahead." Aspenleaf slipped out of his den and trotted over to where Mossheart and Maplefoal were waiting.

"Come on, he said it was all right," she murmured to them. They left the camp and breathed in the fresh forest air. Maplefoal's ears pricked as she looked around her in awe. Looming above them, trees were swaying gently and the babble of a creek could be heard.

Mossheart chuckled at her daughter. She nudged Maplefoal after Aspenleaf as they headed toward the MoorHerd boundary. After a few minutes they came to a small creek.

Aspenleaf glanced at the sky. "It will be quicker if we go across, instead of around." She stepped into the water carefully, testing the depth. Slowly she waded across, the water coming to her knees. Mossheart followed, Maplefoal hovering nervously at her side. When they were safely on the other side of the stream, the three horses shook off some of the excess water from their legs and continued on.

They soon came to a bare, sandy path. "Ah, the Speedpath," Mossheart motioned to her foal. "Each Herd has their own version of one. Apprentices come here to test their speed. Oh, look! There's Creamcloud. She probably brought Flashhoof out to practice." The pale buckskin paint mare, Creamcloud, whinnied a hello.

Suddenly the ground began to tremble. Flashhoof was racing toward them, his mane and tail streaming behind him as he galloped. He slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. He nodded a greeting as he paced in small circles to cool down.

With a quick good-bye, Aspenleaf continued on, Mossheart and Maplefoal a few steps behind. After a few minutes of walking they came to a place in between a field of hay and a pond.

"Well, thank you for coming with me, but we have reached the border. I'll see you when I come back." Aspenleaf whinnied a soft farewell and entered MoorHerd territory before turning around.

"And Mossheart?" She called.

"Yeah?" The paint mare turned.

"Just…be careful." Mossheart looked as if she wanted to speak, but thought better of it. With a quick nod, she and Maplefoal headed back to the ForestHerd camp.

**All right. Just leave a fucking review, k? And don't expect regular updates. That's not how I roll.**


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